Although the recently-retired Hassan Sunny spent almost the entirety of the last decade or so as Singapore's first-choice goalkeeper, there was a period of time where he had to play second fiddle.
It seems unthinkable that someone who was widely regarded as Southeast Asia's best goalkeeper ever had to serve the role of reserve at his peak, but the man who was the cause of that is a certain Izwan Mahbud.
Having initially looked like he might have to bide his time, Izwan rose to prominence with the now-defunct LionsXII when they took the Malaysia Super League by storm in 2012 -- and was then thrust into the limelight at the end of the year.
With Hassan out through injury, Izwan enjoyed a whirlwind rise to Singapore's No. 1 and -- at the age of just 22 -- would play a pivotal role in that year's ASEAN Championship triumph, which happens to be the last time the Lions were crowned champions of Southeast Asia.
Hassan's return to fitness initially led to a fierce personal battle as both took turns forcing their way into the starting XI, with Izwan famously producing a stunning display in June 2015 as Singapore held out for a famous 0-0 draw away to powerhouses Japan in an Asian qualifier for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Hassan would eventually lock down a starting berth but, with his surprise retirement form international football last month, the No. 1 jersey is up for grabs once more.
Based on experience and reputation, Izwan may seem the most obvious candidate to fill the void but the 34-year-old is only just returning to regular first-team football with Lion City Sailors after a prolonged spell on the sidelines due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The other leading candidate is fellow Singapore Premier League stalwart Syazwan Buhari although the BG Tampines Rovers custodian only has two caps to his name, while last week's centralised training leading up to the year-end ASEAN Championship also saw uncapped Geylang International duo Hairul Syirhan and Rudy Khairullah emerge as alternate options.
And while he has 58 caps, an ASEAN crown and a history of big-game heroics under his belt, Izwan is realistic about the fact his past successes should not majorly influence who Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura eventually turns to -- and is instead content to earn his spot on merit.
"That (ASEAN Championship triumph) and the Japan game is all in the past," Izwan told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "It's been more than ten years since. The game has changed dramatically.
"(What happened) before is in the past. I just train day by day and live in the present. It's up to the coach who he wants to pick but I have a lot of trust in him.
"My desire is always there to be the number one -- for club and country, or anything I do in life. No one wants to be number two.
Admitting that he too was surprised by the retirement of Hassan, whom he says he always enjoyed a "healthy rivalry" with, Izwan is aware of the quality competition he will be up against -- including Sailors teammate Zharfan Rohaizad, who was the one who initially kept him on the bench at the start of the season and has been included in recent national team squads.
"I was shocked about his (Hassan's) retirement because there is an important tournament coming up in December, but what it's done is open up an opportunity for many keepers in the SPL right now to get that No. 1 spot," he added.
"It's not just me gunning for that spot. Syazwan, Hairul, Rudy and Zharfan have been in the national team for the past two years. I've only just come back.
"Of course, if I'm chosen, I will do my best to hold on to it."
The fact that he even back in the Singapore fold and in the running to once again be the No. 1 at an ASEAN Championship is enough reason for Izwan to be satisfied, especially after the ACL injury robbed him of almost the entirety of 2023 -- at an age where coming back from such a significant layoff always appears tougher.
"Excited," replied Izwan, when asked what his initial reaction was on learning about his Lions recall. "It was like the first time I got called up all over again.
"It (the ACL injury) was the biggest setback in my career. I've never been out that long through injury. Watching from the outside, seeing everyone else playing, losing my No. 1 spot (at the Sailors) -- it was mental torture, to be honest.
"When I was alone at home thinking about a comeback, or during the rehab period, there were always setbacks. It was kind of hard mentally. I'm lucky I had good people around to support me and tell me I can still do a lot for club and country. That helped me pull through.
"After such an injury, it's hard to get back to where you were before but you can get close to it. "